NEW YORK – Venus Williams, a two-time U.S. Open champion, reached the tournament's semifinals for the first time since 2010 on Tuesday after beating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) in two hours and 34 minutes.
In the opening set, No. 9-seed Williams dropped her serve at 1–1, gifting Kvitova an early break by double faulting three times. But after Kvitova held serve to extend her lead to 3-1, Williams roared back, winning the next five games and elating the largely pro-Venus crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams’s backhand was especially effective, netting her three groundstroke winners and no unforced errors.